Shock news this morning as FIFA announce that Barça have been banned from signing or selling any players during the next two transfer windows, summer 2014 and winter 2014/15. The punishment is a result of irregular dealings in signing 10 youth players who appeared in tournaments between 2009 and 2013.

Not much more to say about this as I’m gobsmacked. Don’t yet know how this will affect Valdés and Ter Stegen as Valdés is finishing his contract and theoretically will be a free agent. It also looks like we’re going to have to wait even longer to get our centre-back. Barça have been given 90 days to appeal.

5 Responses to Barça banned from transfer market for one year

Just read this shocker of a news story. The appeal better work or we’re screwed for the next season because the current Barca side definietely needs a couple of players for the 2014-15 season if we expect to challenge Europe’s big guns in the CL and hold off Real and the rest in La Liga. The most unbelievable aspect is that there were irregularities in signing not one, two but 10 players. Somebody get me a job in Barca’s transfers department.

It does seem extremely harsh as well unfairly affecting innocent players. We’ll have to hope the appeal can overturn or at least reduce the punishment. There is hope with the news that Chelsea overturned a similar punishment on appeal in 2009. It may just be that FIFA want to cause a stir and will later drop the punishment. If not, we are going to be seriously short in some departments next season.

On the other hand we are being affected by too many off-the-field dealings. Many talk of an anti-Barça campaign but following the Neymar affair and now this, there are many questions about how the club is being run. I felt elections should have been called when Sandro Rosell resigned and I feel it even more now. Instead we have a referendum on Saturday on the new Camp Nou and the club ,members will have to decide if they trust the present board with their €600 million project.